Local animal shelter looking for rabbit foster families
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IDAHO FALLS – Now that Easter is over and Mother’s Day is here, many families in eastern Idaho are looking for a new pet.
Haven Hollow Animal Refuge, an animal shelter in Shelley specializing primarily in rabbits, sees an uptick in requests for rabbit adoptions around this time every year.
The nonprofit animal shelter takes in stray and abandoned rabbits. There are 18 currently living there and Director Elissa Turpin is looking for families to take care of them as part of their foster program.
“Eight of those bunnies are bonded pairs, meaning they are best friends and have gone through a bonding process to learn to accept each other. They get adopted together,” Turpin tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Turpin says rabbits are among the third most abandoned animal and if left alone in the wild, they will rapidly multiply and become a nuisance to surrounding neighborhoods and communities.
All the rabbits at the shelter have been spayed or neutered, which she says not only helps in controlling the population, but also helps with their behavior.
“Just like with a dog or a cat, it helps them be more calm,” says Turpin. “Getting the females spayed is very important because it reduces their chances of getting uterine or ovarian cancer.”
The shelter, formerly known as Remembering Ruby Rabbit Rescue, moved from its old location at 1561 West Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls last year to a location in Shelley. All the animals are housed in foster homes and Turpin is hoping to have a new building eventually.
For those interested in fostering a rabbit, she offers some tips and recommendations to keep in mind.
“Since bunnies are preying animals, you have to really earn their trust before they will bond with you,” she says. “One of the best ways to get a rabbit to like you is to let them come to you.”
Patience is required and having treats for them, like pieces of banana, apple, or carrots, is helpful, Turpin says.
“Those are not their diet or what they should be eating for their food, but (it works great as a treat),” Turpin explains.
She says many people mistakenly think that rabbits are good starter pets, and quickly learn that they are much more complex. Bunnies can develop behavior issues quickly if they’re not housed in a big enough space and Turpin says they can become afraid of you if you handle them too much.
Signing up as a volunteer to foster a rabbit is one way to test out whether it’s something you’re able and committed to do. The shelter provides all the resources and training volunteers need while the rabbits are in their care.
“Most rabbits live over 10 years, so it’s a serious commitment and we want people to be educated before they bring a rabbit, or any animal, into their life,” Turpin says.
To apply or learn more, visit the shelter’s website or Facebook page. You can also call (208) 557-4029.